Mindbound
by Helilth
Summary: Four people are selected to participate in a universe simulation. Personalities subconsciously put away and memories wiped, they enter a construction of an entirely new universe. Together they'll go on an adventure and have their lives rebuilt as they progress and complete the experiment. ( No longer on hiatus! )
1. A New Beginning

"Well... the story we're about to tell is sorta'... intriguing. It feels so long ago, let's see. Erm..." a dark-haired man says. Four adults sit in a row in front of multiple people in coats in what seems to be a lab. A blond-haired man starts speaking.

"We woke up in what seemed to be nothing but darkness?" He looked to the other three asking if he was correct, seeing the others nod.

"We never saw each other until after a series of events but, there seemed to be a voice, guiding us through a sort of trial of ." he paused for a moment, trying to recall the event.

"We were taught about stuff the world had, all from no sense of identity; from scratch. It was pretty apparent we weren't prepared for everything as on our journey, we ran into so many things we had no clue about." he paused again to reminisce.

"By the end, I experienced a bright flash of light and suddenly I'm somewhere completely different, the four of us had just seen each other for a couple seconds before we a bunch of creatures around us. They seemed blank, but they just gave off this bad vibe, and our first instinct was to defend ourselves in any way possible." He paused for a moment.

"I stared widely, in surprise, to see a sight of another being like me." He laughed a little, "The sheer amazement I felt was gone as one of those things charged at me."

- Going back to sometime in the past, but not too far back. -

"Whoa!" the dark-haired person says, quickly and barely dodging an imp-like creature's claws as he watches another boy blond hack at it with a broken sword.

"I- uhh, thanks." he stammered, quickly interrupted by another attempt of _aggrievance._ The dark-haired boy could barely see. A blonde rushed to help him, another girl defending the boy from another attack as they group.

"No time for mucking around now." the blonde remarks, the other blond grinned."

They struggled but more kept coming, the group eventually agreed to _abscond_ and went running with exhaust until they were sure it was okay.

"So who're you people?" The blond asked the others, gasping for breath. They all questioned themselves, not thinking once about an identity, oddly enough it just came to them.

"My name's John." the dark-haired boy states.

"Rose. Rose Lalonde." The blonde says.

"I'm Jade!" the long-haired one says. "It's nice to meet you all!" she remarks cheerfully.

"Cool, I'm Strider, Dave Strider.", the blonde says, he puts his hands into his pockets and notices a pair of tinted sunglasses, putting them on with a sense of confidence.

"John reaches into his shorts and finds... a bottle of oil? and a hammer.

"What, is this food?" He also takes out multiple rations of baked goods, "and this?" A pair of rectangular-lensed glasses. John mimicked Dave wearing his glasses. His expression immediately shows awe to see that everything is suddenly clear.

"The other two looking through their clothing, Rose pulls from her hair a pair of needles, her pocket some chalk, and a book she seemingly had somewhere?

"Jade has multiple parts to a disassembled rifle, a stable vial of uranium, a stuffed dog with "Bec" written on a tag attached to it. She giggles watching John's expression change.

Dave continues looking to find some amber, and... a dead bird. Uh, wow.


	2. Civilization

- The day after, early morning. -

Jade looked over to see John sitting up, rubbing his eyes and reaching for his glasses.

"Sleep well?" Jade asked, looking at the other two soundly asleep.

"Yeah, I suppose." John replied, realizing that he was hungry. "Mind if we... get food?"

Jade stared at him in confusion, before realizing the only food they had were sugary snacks and plain, bland pieces of bread, and nodded. John nodded back and went and prepared before going off.

- A couple minutes later. –

Rose wakes up, bumping into Dave, waking him up as well. She notices that both of them are gone.

"Hey, uhh… Dave? Dave." Rose awkwardly asked.

Dave groaned and sat up with a slight drowsiness about him, "Yeah?" he responded.

"We should probably do something." She suggested.

"And what almighty thing shall we do this morning, Rose?" he responded sarcastically.

She stared at him, and the forest, switching her focus occasionally, not knowing what to do at all, having no knowledge of what to do.

"I guess we should wait for the other two?" Rose said. Dave didn't even notice they were gone, looking around.

- Somewhere in the forest. –

"Shh." Jade remarked, gesturing to get down. John complied and looked ahead to see a few deer. They both kneeled there figuring out what to do. In the end Jade ended up taking John's hammer and throwing it.

A crack could be heard and a smaller doe slumped over.

"I... alright, nice one Jade."

They returned to see Rose and Dave sharing knowledge of what they were taught and were delighted with the sudden appearance of food. Jade instructed Dave to get his sword and taught him to skin and get rid of the non-edible parts, cooking the rest over a fire they created with the items they had.

"Since we were all taught different things, I suggest we all share our knowledge and compose a sort-of, sharing of knowledge between ourselves." Rose suggested. They all stockpiled their knowledge: Jade knowing a lot about animals and science, as well as medical training. Rose knowing old folktales and psychology and tales of magic. Dave went extensively when and how to act in combat and the concept of keeping time, and John having knowledge in meteorology and other seemingly useless... tricks.

"We should go explore, maybe we can find other people like us!" Jade suggested. Everyone agreed, spending the day teaching other basic things, planning to move tomorrow and prepared.

The next day came, they rose early and packed their things, started heading off some odd direction.

"Hey!" John called out. "I think I see something over there." He pointed in a direction, showing raised structures in a clearing. They all made their way over there, seeing it inhabited by humanoid beings, their appearance and town featuring black and white all over and white carapaced beings. Yet it felt like something was missing to the four of them.

"Do you speak?" Jade asked to multiple carapacians and to their surprise they were able to communicate. One of the taller carapacians, walked up to them with a request, he saw their weapons and requested if they could gather food for them as they were incapable of successfully hunting wildlife.

"Well, it seems we have a job, what do you say?" Rose asked the rest of them.

"I don't see why not." John says

"I've definitely got more important things to do." Dave responds in a sarcastic tone.

Jade requests to walk around to see if anyone can make use of her parts. Rose turns back around, explains to the tall figure.

"It's settled then, we'll do this job." Rose announced. The four then split into two groups, one collecting wood and things, and one hunting. It wasn't the most fun thing to do but they townspeople needed them. About an hour later they all return with supplies and presented it to the carapacian.

To their surprise, they were rewarded with some equipment: a watch, a sledge hammer, and multiple scarves; the tall one explained they felt bad that they were doing this for them and they didn't promise anything in return. He also talks to Jade, delivering her an assembled rifle and ammunition.

"Thank you!" John says to the tall one. He was about to leave before he turned to the carapacian again, "Say, is there any place we can stay?" John asked. The tall one explained that they can stay at a local place, on him.

"Sweet!"

Time passed, they explored the town and went to the place they were shown near the end of the day.

"Would you like a room, or do you have a reservation?" A carapacian at the counter says. John explains that a tall figure said they were going to have a room here.

"Wow. This is really nice!" Jade exclaimed looking around the room in awe. There were decorations in the lobby; the walls were colorful and little areas for multiple things. Multiple white figures greeted and welcomed them as they passed bye.

"I like this place." John says as he settles down, relaxing on the bed.

"We can sleep on proper furniture instead of the ground now." Dave scoffs.

"Indeed!" Jade agreed, taking a leftover cookie from John.

"Now that we're settled, what do we want to do tomorrow?" Rose asked, sitting down on one of the beds.

Dave and Jade shrugged. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow." John said happily as he fell back into the bed.

- Back forward, but not too far. –

"Something big happened the next day." Rose said, with a slight grin.

**( A review would be very nice. And if I may ask, is it interesting to read, or is it too specific or too fast on the details. Let me know! )**


	3. A Harsh Reality

It was about a couple hours before noon the next day. John was awaken by a commotion outside as there was a lot more chatter and a odd humming sound from outside. John put on his glasses and saw that Rose was standing by window, staring outside in slight disgust.

"Rose?" John said.

"Yes, John?"

"What's going on outside?" He incquired.

"I believe... we're under attack." she replies, walking she frantically packs her things, and going to wake up the other two. John get up and went to the window, seeing nothing at first until he looked up. In the air was a purple flying ship, bearing a symmetrical symbol of some sort. He saw what seemed to be black carapacians climbing down on ropes, some having weapons on hand.

"The Dersites are coming!" He heard a white figure in a tower yell. He looked around again to see some buildings in wreck and shrapnel.

"We need to help!" John said, turning around to the other three, two barely awake.

"Are you kidding? There's only four of us and we're not exactly the best equipped against anything else with weapons." Rose reminded.

"Well we have to do something!" John exclaimed.

"Why don't we just take what we can and leave?" Daveasked.

"That seems kind of rude thou-" Jade was interrupted when the a crash of metal comes from the roof, a fire started to spread throughout the yellow carpet of the room.

"Run!" Dave exclaimed, everyone frantically packing, Dave helping Jade across the debris and running after the group downstairs. He sees in the lobby to see the room filled with more fire and a couple lifeless bodies. He opens the window and tells everyone to go through, readying his sword.

"Crap." John says with a horrified expression. Looking around the scene, many more white corpses scattered throughout the town, red stains surrounding the bodies. The scent was unbearable from bodies burning.

"Stop right there!"

"Uh." John looked over to see a black figure, surrounded by more figures wielding as assortment of blunt and sharp weapons with torches.

The four exchange looks before running in the opposite direction, having their weapons on hand. They kept running, trying to stay calm and listen to Dave's advice, past all the corpses, past all the burning buildings, stopping to change directions when they ran into trouble, fighting when they had to.

They hear yelling behind them as they ran. The group run into a forest and eventually, they regroup and the black figures stopped giving chase.

"That was not a good sight." Jade said, distressed over the carnage they just saw.

"And tiring." John says trying to catch his breath. They settled down, Dave keeping watch, the group already missing the comfort of the inn and not having enough time to eat breakfast.

All but Dave passed out soon after. He kept watch.

Dave heard someone walking by, he moves up to the entrance to see a white carapacian, it's skin stained with blood, seemingly happy to meet someone friendly.

"Uhh, hey." Dave awkwardly said, he invited them in, sitting next to them and comforting them, trying not to wake anyone up.

"Sorry about your town." He whispered, giving it one of the scarves. He patted it on the head and watched the entrance, soon passing out himself.

- Back at the lab. -

"It wasn't one of the most favorable experiences." John said.

"It was pretty scary, I never really saw something so destructive before that." Jade added.

**( I received reviews from multiple people I'd just like to thank y'all , and thank you for the support. )**


	4. A Triumphant Skirmish

"I nearly died that morning." Jade said. She clenched her fist and looked at John.

- Back in the past, the cave, late morning. -

John was awoken by a slight shuffling, having his hammer in hand; being told to hold onto their weapons as a safety precaution. He sat up, put his glasses on, to see the sight of a carapacian? about to stab Jade in the head with it's claws, it hesitating to do so. He almost gasped, getting up carefully, readying his hammer. He hesitated as well, having to yell out when he smashed the side of the carapacian's head in, red fluid coming from the blow as it dripped from it's head, staining the scarf it wore.

He looked over to see Dave waking up, Jade and Rose in shock as the body fell to the ground.

"It was... it was uhh- about to..." John gestured very shakily as he held the bloodied hammer, dropping it next to the corpse. When Dave realized what happened, he was in slight shock to see the motionless, white body on the ground.

"We've got to go." Dave said, his face looking a little pale, remembering that he welcomed a carapacian in whose seemingly not here and the fact that he let his gaurd down. He then realized that some of stuff is missing.

John said, trying to explain. "I never did anything like that, but, I just had this instinct... to protect Jade, I never wanted to kill it. It just happened.

"Hey, some of our stuff is missing." Dave stated, Rose looked around for belongings, looking distressed, she nodded and noticed John fretting about his as well.

"Where could it have gone?" Jade said.

"Maybe some asshole took it?" Dave added.

"If that carapacian just came, then maybe our stuff is still nearby somewhere?" Rose suggested, looking out the cave.

"Well we should go look then." John said, helping Jade get her glasses.

They all packed whatever they had, and walked outside.

"Look." Rose said, pointing at matted grass. They all followed it, eventually going back to town to see it inhabited by the black carapacians, constructing a building of some sort, the purple machine that flew nearby. In the distance, they saw two figures holding backpacks with their belongings surrounded by other black figures bringing cargo into the ship.

"Do we really want to do this?" Dave asked, holding his sword

"I want my stuff back, don't you Jade?" John replied.

"Yeah, but is it really worth it with these conditions. I don't think it's safe." Rose said.

"I do, I want my dog back." Jade complained. Dave had a look of pity under his glasses.

"Yeah, alright." Dave gripping his sword, signaling Rose to follow him in, he and she readying their weapons.

"If anything happens, I want you to cover me and you, John to try to ensure our escape." Dave told the other two. The two sneaked in, Jade watched them as they eliminate multiple carapacians without hesitation, being inconspicuous about it, hiding bodies, eventually making their way in.

Inside the ship were many facilities and rooms. They went in a corridor, eventually making it to the storage unnoticed. They walked in to see many boxes with labels on them, looking around in awe with all the stuff they could take.

"Alright." Dave whispered. "There's no harm in taking some extra loot right?" He said, smirking. Rose agreed, looking around for the backpack. Rose noticed something glowing from the corner of her eye. It was a box, and conveniently, next to the packs.

"Found the backpacks." Rose called to Dave.

"That's cool." Dave replied. Rose looked back, opened the box to see needles in them, glowing and calling out to her. She picked them up, admiring them, being ornate, and blue. She placed her current needles in her new-found pack and brandished the new ones.

She ended up triggering one of them and sent a blast of energy unfortunately into the alarm as a signal rings out to the rest of the ship. Dave comes running holding a scabbard.

"What happened?" Dave asked, distressed as the alarm rung.

"I may've triggered an alarm." Rose replied, slightly embarrassed, retrieved the two backpacks and handing one to Dave.

"We're leaving." She said sternly. Rose ran to the door, putting on one of the backpacks. Dave followed, brandishing a sword from the scabbard.

Back outside, the other two hear the alarm. Jade readies her rifle, looking at the entrance of the ship through the scope on top. Back inside the ship, the two run into multiple carapacians holding batons and other weapons.

Dave starts advancing towards two, one of the two black figures rush at him with his baton. They swing and Dave easily dodges, knocking it the ground and mortally wounding it.

The other is suddenly supported by two others and they _aggress _Dave. Dave steps around, slashing at the and kicked it behind him. Another tries to grab him and ducks, kicking at his feet and tripping him before finishing him off. The last helps the first one up continues their _aggression_ before Dave

Rose replicated what happened in the storage, _aggrieving_ those _assailing _her before they get close. They eventually make their way back out the ship before they're surrounded by a large mob.

The two reluctantly take a step back before a few sounds are heard in the distance and some yelling is heard even closer. A couple black figures fall and the two grin before engaging in combat once more.

In the midst of battle, Dave's arm is hit, looking back at the carapacians, sweeped his sword, swinging his blade across multiple figures. He went back a little to Rose's safety as she cleared them out from a safe distance.

John came crashing through, this time wielding a sledge hammer, clearing a path for the two.

"C'mon!" John yells out, continuing to hold them back. The two started running, dodging groups as they chased after them again. They eventually reach Jade and dropped the backpacks, Dave grunting in pain.

"Shit." Dave spat out. He rolled up his blood-stained sleeve, blood dripping from his arm and sat down on the grass. Jade, rummaging through her backpack for an extra shirt or cloth, tended to Dave's wound and wrapped it around. John looking worried from Dave's wound, looked at Rose and the needles she held in her hands.

"Woah! I was wondering what that lightning-y stuff was! It's like magic!" John remarked. "What're they?"

Rose smiled and replied, "Yeah, they're like wands, except they're needles? Needlewands." She giggled.

Dave put the newly acquired sword back in it's scabbard and sat down with Jade. He smirked, moved his arm and whimpered as he tried to rest.

They agreed to get going after about an hour, looking for necessities. They wandered around until they found a clearing in a forest.

Jade stayed with Dave. John set up another fire and Rose went hunting, with questionable success. They ate and went with their business, Dave being the first to sleep, Rose soon after. John added wood to the fire and fell asleep. Jade sat up, holding Bec, looked to the stars and hugged it, eventually fell asleep as well.

They deserved this rest.

**(Hey y'all, it was almost a year ago I started this. Now I'm back and hopefully I'll stay around! Look forward to more updates and revisions.)**


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